"AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21098, 4 February 1932, Page 13

"AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY."

DREISER DRAMA FOR CIVIC. The distinctive Joseph von Sternberg film version of Theodore Dreiser's unflinching indictment of modern society, " An American Tragedy," which will replace "Silence" at the Civic r J heat re tomorrow, is remarkably well acted by a gifted cast of youthful artists. None of the essential vitality of the tragic story of a boy made the victim of his environment and his ambition to use above his class lias been lost, m the screen drama. Phillips Holmes gives a linely-etched portrayal of the unfortunate youth—son of fana.tical street evangelists, who desert him to save the souls of strangers—who becomes caught up in a maelstrom of excitement and conflict. The youth grows to manhood, povertystricken and deprived of the normal comforts of life. Determined to make a success of his future, he is given his first opportunity at 20. when lie secures a position with a wealthy uncle. , A chance meeting at his uncles luxunous home brings into his life Sondra Kinchlev, a gay, flirtatious young woman, who becomes the earnest, youth's feminine ideal. He worships her, but docs riot hope to make her his,wife. So he becomes involved in a surreptitious affair with a lonely factory girl. She is passionately in love with linn, but the youth, having leaned that the more wealthy girl is genuinely affectionate toward him, refuses to marry tho factory worker. Then he conceives a terrible idea to make the way dear for his marriage to the beautiful society girl. He invites his former lover to go boating with him on a lonely and deserted lake. His mind is> in chaos. His nerve fails him at the critical moment, but an accident accomplishes his purpose. The canoe overturns; be swims away: the girl drowns. 'I lie vouth is tried for murder. From that point on " An American Tragedy" runs a relentless course. As the contrasting types of womanhood, Sylvia Sydney, in the part of the pathetic factory girl, and Frances Dee, .who acts superblv as her wealthy feminine rival, are both admirable in their sincerity.